Dictionary — Entry No. 0631
기억
gieok · noun
기억
gieok
[gee-UHK]
nounbeginner
Meaning
기억 means ‘memory’ or ‘recollection’—a specific moment held in the mind, or the act of remembering itself. It is a deeply emotional word in Korean, often tied to nostalgia, longing, and the pain of forgetting. The verb form 기억하다 (gieokada) means ‘to remember,’ while 기억나다 (gieoknaeda) means ‘to recall’ or ‘to come to mind.’
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
기억 is a favorite theme in Korean storytelling, from amnesia plotlines in classic dramas to EXO’s introspective songs about holding onto fading memories. In ‘My Love from the Star,’ Do Min-joon struggles with 400 years of 기억 that both enrich and haunt him. aespa’s lore-heavy universe also weaves 기억 into its AI-human narrative about shared memories across dimensions.
Example Sentences
그 날을 기억해?
geu nareul gieokae?
Do you remember that day? (Casual question—often loaded with nostalgia or regret)
기억이 잘 안 나.
gieogi jal an na.
I can’t quite remember / It’s not coming to me. (Natural expression for hazy or fading memories)
좋은 기억만 가져가.
joeun gieongman gajyeoga.
Take only good memories with you. (Often said at farewells—classic K-Drama parting line)
⚠️ Don’t use gieok when…
1) Don’t mix up 기억 (gieok, memory) and 기분 (gibun, mood)—both start with 기 and appear constantly in emotional K-Drama dialogue but describe very different things. 2) Subtitles often translate both 기억나다 and 기억하다 as ‘remember,’ but 기억나다 implies a memory surfacing naturally while 기억하다 implies active effort—native speakers hear the difference.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: My Love from the Star (별에서 온 그대) — Do Min-joon’s 400 years of 기억 make his love for Cheon Song-yi both magical and heartbreaking.
- K-Pop: EXO — For Life
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.